When All Hope Seems Lost
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: The worst part about it though, was not the fact that Toothless, the only and last Night Fury was dead. No, the absolute worst part was watching Hiccup afterwards. (Death!fic). Cover art done by the awesome TheLastNightFury.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING WARNING WARNING THIS STORY HAS A MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH AND WILL PROBABLY MAKE YOU CRY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! IT IS NOT A ONE SHOT THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SIX OR SEVEN CHAPTERS. **

Toothless was dead.

It wasn't anyone's fault except Dagur's; a midnight flight had gone wrong. The Berserkers had been waiting for an ambush attack. And so when Toothless was shot clear out of the sky, the dragon wounded, dying a few minutes later due to his multiple, severe wounds.

He had saved Hiccup, though, using his wings to shield his rider as he had done during the fight against the Red Death, and for that, Hiccup blamed himself.

The worst part about it though, was not the fact that Toothless, the only and last Night Fury was dead, although that was a huge part of it.

No, the absolute worst part was watching Hiccup afterwards.

The first time people saw him since the accident was the dragon's funeral.

Hiccup had drawn the bowstring back after lighting the mandatory arrow on fire. Then, tears streaming down his face, he released it, hardly even looking at what he was aiming at. Tears blurred his vision, making it near impossible to see anything at all. He wasn't even a good archer, and yet, he had managed to hit the pyre. As soon as his arrow hit, he had turned, dropped his bow, and ran like the wind in the opposite direction.

No one stopped him, nor did they blame him.

No one saw Hiccup for a week straight after that; from what they learned from Stoick, the boy had locked himself up in his room, refusing to speak, open the door, or do anything of the sort. Once again, no one blamed him; but how could they?

The second time Astrid actually saw him, he was walking in a straight line, his head bowed, watching his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. She didn't find herself brave enough to go towards him. Instead, she found herself walking in the opposite direction. She wasn't trying to avoid him, but she feared talking to him would just make him feel worse.

The third time Astrid saw him, he was at the forge, working on a dagger. She watched him for a few minutes until he finished the weapon. When he did, he picked it up and hurled it at the wall behind him. It sank into the wood, falling into place with many other daggers littered across the wall that matched almost perfectly.

Astrid looked back and then continued walking. She didn't know how to approach him, or what to say to him.

The fourth time she saw him, he was at the cove, throwing a handful of daggers at the trees. She hid out and watched him as he threw weapon after weapon, each one sinking into the bark as if it were made of butter. Once Hiccup had used up all ten of them, he walked forward, yanked them out of the tree one by one (a process that took him nearly five minutes), and then started over again.

The fifth time Astrid saw him was when she finally sound the courage to speak to him. He was sitting at the edge of a cliff, his legs dangling over the side of it, his hands folded in his lap. She approached him slowly and sat down next to him, looking at him. He didn't even acknowledge her presence, and if he did, he did nothing that would signify it.

"Hiccup?" she said.

"What?" he replied. His voice was flat and thick, and he didn't turn his head to meet her eyes.

"Do…" What could she say? "...I-I miss talking to you."

"Okay," he said as if he were just spitting it out.

"Are...are you alright?" Astrid asked.

"Astrid, do you _think _I'm alright?" Hiccup said. He turned to her for the first time, and Astrid could barely contain a gasp. His eyes were bloodshot, lacking the usual light that made his emerald eyes sparkle. His countless freckles stood out painfully against his too-pale skin, and he looked like someone who had been crying and panicking for weeks.

Which he probably had been, now that Astrid thought about it.

She had asked a stupid question. Of _course _he wasn't alright. What made her think that?

"No," Astrid admitted.

Hiccup nodded, turning away from her. "Yeah, I didn't think so," he said flatly, no emotion leaking into his voice. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, staring out into space.

"Hiccup…?" Astrid asked. Hiccup sighed and nodded silently, giving her leave to continue. "Can...can I do something to help you…?"

Hiccup shook his head. Astrid saw tears stinging his eyes; seeing him in such a state as this was making her heart ache.

"I'm sorry about Toothless-" She cut herself off. She did _not _just say that. How could she say something like that!? And to Hiccup of all people…

Hiccup looked at her, tears now streaming down his face. "Go away..." he moaned, turning away from her once more.

"Hiccup-" Astrid tried.

"Just go," Hiccup pleaded, resting his head against his knees, crying silently. Astrid stood up with a heavy heart, worrying for him and his well being. She knew she wouldn't get another word to him; not after what she just did. How could she have brought up Toothless at at time like that?

She looked once last time at Hiccup. He was sobbing now, his tears running freely down his face. Despite how much Astrid wished she could have helped him, there was nothing she could have done.

So, she turned and walked away, and didn't look back. As she walked, the battle flashed in her mind…

**The next chapter will be sort of like a prologue, but not a prologue at the same time. It will be Astrid recounting the battle, meaning we will see Toothless' death. Stay tuned for chapter 2! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Um, so, yeah, I did something bad, now, didn't I? Well, there's no stopping me once I get started. If you thought that _last _chapter was bad, then...oh, you know what? I'm not...I'm not even going to _go _there. I would like to thank my reviewers for chapter 1: **

**Hiccup's Flower**

**midnightsky0612 **

**E-Sharp777 (Ya, no corner for me, bro)**

**Zyonzillia**

**HiccupHaddockIII**

**AnimeAngel**

**Smiley101 **

**Silver Electricity**

**WinterDawnShadow**

**mycove**

**TheLastNightFury**

**Guest**

**Thank you for all reviewing, and thanks for being awesome at the same time. :) I hope I don't make anyone mad at me with this chapter, although saying it is probably pointless, because you are already mad at me. :) Enjoy...if you can...chapter 2. **

_They were on a midnight flight, flying over Berk with surprisingly good attitudes. Astrid, Hiccup, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Snotlout were there alike, working on midnight maneuvers for training. They had to get better at working in the dark, hence the reason they did it at midnight. _

_They had seen it when it happened. A bola shot out from the forest, wrapping around Toothless' tail fins, rendering the dragon unable to fly. Hiccup screamed as he and the dragon plummeted towards the forest below, unable to do anything to stop the crash. _

"_HICCUP!" Astrid shouted as she watched in terror. At the last second, Toothless wrapped his wings around Hiccup, and then they hit the ground. _

"_Hiccup!" the other riders shouted as they watched in horror. They quickly turned their dragons downwards, towards the fallen Night Fury and also their friend. _

_As soon as their dragons hit the ground, they jumped off their backs, some of them running towards Hiccup while some of than running towards Toothless. They had landed about a foot away, both of them unconscious. _

"_Hiccup!" Astrid shouted his name as she knelt beside him and grabbed his hand. He was unconscious, and other than a rather large gash on his hairline, looked unharmed. That was a relief. Toothless had saved him. _

_She looked at the other riders, some of them gathering around Toothless while others gathered around Hiccup. Toothless seemed okay, and so did Hiccup at the same time. _

_Hiccup moaned, his eyes fluttering several times before he finally opened them, staring up at Astrid, his eyes not really focusing on any one thing in particular. _

"_As...Astrid?" he asked. _

"_Yeah," said Astrid. "Are you okay?" _

_Hiccup nodded slightly, and then grimaced. "Where's...where's Toothless?" he asked _

"_Toothless is fine," said Astrid. "And so are you. We just need to get you both back to the village and checked out, and then everything will be okay." _

"_Astrid…" said Fishlegs. _

"_What?" said Astrid, turning to him. Fishlegs had tears streaming down his face, and he looked unbelievably pale. Toothless moaned behind him, and Astrid's eyes widened. _

_No. No no no no no. _

"_Toothless?" Hiccup said. "He doesn't sound alright…" _

"_He is," said Astrid, trying to keep Hiccup's mind off it. She knew what Fishlegs was worried about. Toothless wasn't going to live… _

"_Stop lying to me," said Hiccup, trying to sit up. Astrid tried to push him back down before he saw, but she was too late. _

"_T-Toothless?" Hiccup whispered. "TOOTHLESS!" _

_Astrid tried to hold him back, but she wasn't able to. He somehow managed to yank himself to his feet and rush forward, throwing his arms around his dragon's neck, and crying silently. _

"_It's okay, bud," said Hiccup. "It's okay...you'll be okay...don't leave me, please...Toothless…" _

_The Night Fury turned his head just slightly, nuzzling Hiccup's cheek softly as the boy sobbed and cried. Even if they did manage to wrap Toothless' wounds, the dragon had still lost so much blood. The bola must have had a shrapnel of some sort. _

"_It's okay, Toothless," Hiccup sobbed, gently stroking the top of his dragon's head as if the Night Fury would simply shatter if he held too tight, or patted him too hard. "We'll get you back to Berk, and everything will be okay…you have to be okay, Toothless. You can't leave me...buddy, please…" _

_Toothless visibly relaxed, leaving into his rider's touch. He was going to die, and Toothless knew it. He cooed softly, closing his eyes, his breathing labored and harsh. _

"_No no no, Toothless, no," said Hiccup. "Just stay with me, Toothless, a little bit longer, and then everything will be okay, Toothless...Toothless please don't! Toothless!" _

_Weakly, the Night Fury licked Hiccup's face. Hiccup sobbed harder, burying his face into his dragon's scaly neck as he sobbed and shook, rubbing Toothless' head with a trembling hand. _

"_Please Toothless…" said Hiccup. "I love you, bud...you can't leave...Toothless...you're m-my b-best friend, b-buddy...you can't...you can't leave me, Toothless…I can't do it without you!" _

_Toothless gently nuzzled his rider, and Hiccup broke down again. Toothless was saying his last goodbye, and Hiccup knew it. _

"_T-thank you, for everything...you useful reptile," said Hiccup between his shattered sobs and heartbreaking tears. Toothless nudged him one last time, and then went limp, stilling entirely, absent of movement, breath, and life. _

"_Oh no…" Snotlout whispered from behind them. "Oh no, oh no, oh no…" He couldn't help it, watching his cousin - someone who was normally so strong, confident, and happy - break down in front of him, and in front of the dead body of his best friend. _

_Astrid was letting her tears fall now, as did all of the other riders. They couldn't believe that Toothless, the last Night Fury, first dragon to ever befriend a viking, was gone forever. _

"_T-T….Toothless?" Hiccup stuttered, pulling away as realization dawned on him. "TOOTHLESS NO!" Hiccup shouted. "TOOOOOOTHHHHLLEEEEESSSS!" Nothing changed. _

_Shocked, scared and horrified, Hiccup wrapped his arms around his dragon's neck and cried. He couldn't stop, no matter how hard he tried. Or, if he had tried. He didn't even try to hold back his tears. He completely forgot about his friends and their dragons behind him, watching him. All that mattered, and all that Hiccup thought about at that moment, was his best friend. _

_Hiccup passed out after that, laying limp next to his fallen dragon. The other riders took him home, and explained everything to Stoick, and the other Berkians. They bowed their heads, and then started preparing Toothless' funeral. _

_Once Hiccup was conscious and well enough to attend, he did so, being the first to shoot a flaming arrow onto his loving friend's pyre. And then, the poor boy ran away, tears streaming down his face despite what effort he put into stopping them. _

Astrid shuddered at the memory. It was too horrible to think about. Toothless, the last Night Fury, was gone. And Hiccup was lost, heartbroken and absolutely devastated without him.

**So ya, I am mean. Chapter 3 coming soon! **


	3. Chapter 3

**So, yeah. ANGST HERE! Thank you to: **

**Pink Mockingjay in Hufflepuff**

**TheLastNightFury777**

**Guest**

**TigerLily the Wild**

**Thanks to all my readers, favors, and followers as well. You are all incredible. I hope you like this chapter! :) **

The next day, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut met up at the academy with their dragons. They sat around for an hour, no one speaking, clearly because they couldn't find the words. It wasn't the same at the academy without Hiccup, and none of them knew whether or not he would be coming.

He hadn't been at the academy for days. No one pushed him to do anything, nor did they blame him, either. He had just lost his best friend in the whole wide world; what do you say to someone who loses something like that?

He was in mourning, obviously, for days now. Days upon days upon days, each day a long, twenty four hour period seeming to last much longer than just that.

However, on that day, Hiccup showed up at the academy. He looked terrible, though, his normally unkempt hair even more messed up than usual, his eyes red from crying and lack of sleep, his skin unnaturally pale. He looked thinner than Astrid remembered, too. Was he even eating at all?

Astrid suddenly felt heated with rage. They had figured out by the bola that it had been a Berserker who had shot them down. Despite all the search parties that they sent out, they hadn't been able to find a single one, and no one ever thought they would.

"Hey," said Hiccup, shuffling his right foot against the ground, looking at the floor so he didn't have to meet anyone else's gaze.

"Whatever you do," whispered Astrid to Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins, "don't you _dare _bring up Toothless. Try to act cheerful. Please don't screw it up."

"Hey, baby cousin!" said Snotlout enthusiastically. "Where have you been? It's been no fun without you!"

"Totally," said Tuffnut. "It sure isn't the same."

Hiccup merely nodded in response, not speaking at all for the moment.

"Do you want to do some training?" Astrid asked.

"You guys can," said Hiccup. "I'll...I'll just watch you."

They didn't need to be told twice, nor did they push Hiccup into it. And so, they took to doing whatever they usually did, from studying the book of dragons, trying to involve Hiccup in their questions, and then to flying circles around the academy while they worked on their turns.

"You sure you don't want to ride with me on Hookfang, Hiccup?" said Snotlout. For a second, Astrid was afraid he would just make it worse by asking Hiccup to ride a dragon. However, Hiccup merely shook his head.

"You guys go on without me, I'm good," he said. "Don't worry, I'm really good. Trust me."

He was anything _but _good, and they knew it. They didn't trust him when he tried to deny the truth, but of course they didn't bring it up or point it out. They were trying to get Hiccup back to normal; not make it even worse by pushing him into getting on a dragon's back.

"Oh, okay," said Snotlout. "But if you want to, you can borrow Hookfang any time you want. Don't even ask, just take him."

"Thanks," said Hiccup, barely audible.

"How about some target practice?" Astrid offered. "What do you think, Hiccup?"

"I'm cool with whatever you guys want," said Hiccup quietly. "I'm just watching you guys."

"Okay, target practice it is," said Astrid. "Ruffnut and Tuffnut, could you please set up some barrels for us to shoot at?"

The twins didn't argue, nor did they need to be told twice. They stacked the barrels, one on top of the other, until they made a pyramid of wooden bins.

"Okay, ready?" Astrid said, walking alongside her dragon as then walked to the other side of the academy. "Come on, guys!" she shouted to Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout and Fishlegs when they didn't follow her, motioning with her hand. "Line up!"

They lined their dragons up and then stood next to them each. Hiccup sat on a crate on the left side of the academy, watching the riders and keeping a watchful eye on what they were doing.

"Ready?" said Astrid.

"Ready!" said the other riders in unison.

"Stormfly, fire!" said Astrid. Stormfly blasted a bout of fire straight at one of the barrels, obliviating it the second it hit its mark. Then, she flipped her tail, spines flying from it, imbedding in the wood that made up their targets.

"Good girl!" said Astrid. "Snotlout, you're up!"

"Hookfang, annihilate!" Snotlout shouted to his dragon. Hookfang did so almost instantly, blasting two barrels out of existence. "Yeah!" shouted Snotlout, double-fistpumping in his gloatful victory. "That teaches you never to mess with the SnotFang! Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!"

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut you guys are up!" said Astrid.

The twins were way ahead of her; they blasted four barrels at once, and then bashed their heads together in celebration of their seeming "win."

Fishlegs went last, Meatlung firing at the last barrel, knocking it over and burning it to the ground, the splintered wood smoking and sizzling.

"Nice going!" said Astrid. "What do you think, Hiccup?"

She turned around, her smile fading when she saw her friend. "Hiccup?" she said tentatively. Hiccup had his head buried in his hands, and he was sobbing silently. He looked up at Astrid when she called his name, and then wiped his tears away from his eyes.

"S-sorry," he stuttered. "You guys are doing great. K-keep up the great work."

Astrid knew what was wrong. Seeing her and the others with their dragons, training happily, must have just crushed him.

"Okay, we're done at the academy for today!" said Astrid, turning to the others and looking at them in a way that said, "don't-even-say-a-single-word-otherwise" that the riders instantly caught. "See you all tomorrow!"

"Okay!" said Snotlout enthusiastically, the others quickly following his example.

"Bye, Hiccup!" said Fishlegs, waving to him as he and the others left with their dragons.

"See you tomorrow!" said Ruffnut and Tuffnut in unison.

Once they were gone, Astrid looked back at Hiccup.

"Do you want to go for a walk later on tonight?" she asked. _I need something to keep his mind off Toothless, and dragons in particular_, she thought to herself silently.

"Sure," said Hiccup at length, although he didn't sound excited about it.

"Great!" said Astrid. "I'll meet you in the forest in an hour!"

Hiccup nodded. "I'm just going to..hang around here...for a few minutes," he said.

"Okay," said Astrid, trying to sound cheerful. "See you then, Hiccup!" She turned and walked out of the academy.

Only then did she let her tears fall.


	4. Chapter 4

**Am I crushing you all yet? Sorry if I am. I should be finishing this story today, since I just randomly got tons of inspiration to finish it up. *shrugs* TWO MORE CHAPTERS AFTER THIS ONE. **

**Just so everyone knows, this story takes place somewhere during "Defenders of Berk." I know, it also means that if this story was real, then there would be no season final, and no HTTYD2 unless they changed the plot, and I know, this is just a what if thinga-ma-boober thing. So, suppose Hiccup and the others are somewhere around sixteen or seventeen in this fanfiction. :) Hope you guys like this chapter. :) **

Astrid walked to the Haddock household to talk to Stoick. She needed to ask him a few questions; was Hiccup sleeping at all, or eating, too?

She knocked on the door, twiddling her skirt nervously as she waited for him to answer. Stoick opened the door, acknowledging the girl with a nod before he stepped aside to let her in.

"Please, have a seat, Astrid," said Stoick. "I'm sure you have many questions."

"Actually, yes," said Astrid, sitting across from where Stoick sat down. "It's about Hiccup. Is he...what has he been doing? Has he been eating? Or sleeping, for that matter?"

Stoick shook his head. "I try to get him to eat," he said, "but he just shuts me out, doesn't really talk much. He locks himself in his room most the time, but he's not sleeping, Astrid, he's crying. And he's dealing with this alone, by himself, which is even worse. He doesn't let people help him, but he needs it."

"The other riders and I are trying to be a more supportive friend to him," said Astrid. "But we don't really know what to do. We try to include him, but then he just tells us to do it without him."

Stoick nodded. "You know, Astrid," he said, "the grieving process is...it's the opposite of easy. When Hiccup's mother was killed in that dragon attack all those years ago, I grieved for longer than I could remember."

"Does it...does it ever get better?" Astrid asked.

Stoick shook his head. "It gets better," he said, "but it's never really gone for good. It still hurts, like a wound that never heals. And considering how close Toothless was to Hiccup, he might never actually heal. It'll get better, over the years, but he'll never be the same. There will always be a part of him that isn't there."

"What can we do about it?" Astrid asked.

"Just do what you've been doing," said Stoick. "Be there for him, pretend nothing changed. Include Hiccup, and eventually, it'll get easier. But right now, it will be hard, and I can't promise you any sort of results any time soon. It could take months, it could take years, or it could never happen at all."

"Okay," said Astrid. "Thank you, Stoick. I'm going with Hiccup for a walk, through the forest...I'm hoping it will cheer him up a little bit."

"I'm sure it will, even if it is just a little bit," said Stoick. "And thank you, Astrid, for everything you're doing for him. I really, really appreciate it in more ways than you understand."

"Thank you, sir," said Astrid.

"No, Astrid, I mean it," said Stoick. "I can't get through to him. Out of all the people on Berk, you're probably the only one who can, and then maybe Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut or Tuffnut. Don't thank me, Astrid. Thank _you_."

"I'm happy to do it," said Astrid. "I can't take feeling Hiccup's taking this all on his own."

"He is, or, was," said Stoick. "Not anymore. Thank you, Astrid."

Astrid nodded and offered a sad, nervous smile. "I should probably go meet Hiccup now," she said, rising to her feet. "Thanks again, Stoick, for thanking me."

"You're welcome, Astrid," said Stoick.

Then, Astrid turned and left the abode.

…

Astrid found Hiccup in front of the forest, standing, leaning against a tree, waiting for her arrival. She ran up to him, faking a smile for his sake, trying to make herself look enthusiastic and happy on the outside while she was feeling the exact opposite on the inside.

"Hey, Hiccup!" she said. "You ready?"

He nodded, scant of words, and then stood upright. There was something different about the way he held himself. His usually relaxed posture was stiff and forced, almost as if he were fighting to keep himself that way.

"Then let's go!" said Astrid. She grabbed his hand and yanked him through the forest, trying to keep herself from crying. She couldn't cry, no, not now. Not in front of Hiccup. Not when he so desperately needed her to be strong for him.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded, absent of words.

"I could just stare at the stars all day," said Astrid. "They're beautiful, really, and incredible to look at. Do you like looking at the stars?"

On any other day, they wouldn't have been having this conversation. On any other day, they would have been enjoying a late flight with their dragons. But this day was different. So much different.

Hiccup shook his head. "Not a big fan," he mumbled.

"Yeah, actually, I'm not, either," said Astrid. "Where should we go?"

"Doesn't really matter to me," said Hiccup. "You pick."

She pretended not to be sad, but the way he spoke - his voice flat, thick, and raspy - just made her feel worse. She shook her head and continued pulling him along through the forest, weaving in between the tight trees, holding his hand the entire time.

On any other day, she wouldn't have held his hand. On any other day, they probably wouldn't have even been walking. They would have been flying through the sky, over the forest, on their dragons. But of course, this was different then most days.

At that exact moment, just before Astrid was about to start a new conversation, turning in a different direction, they heard a twig snap. Astrid turned towards the direction from whence it came, Hiccup doing the same, his face unreadable.

"What was that…?" he said at length.

"I haven't the faintest," said Astrid.

They heard it again, and spun in that direction. And then, from the bushes, emerged the figure of a man, clad in armor that sparkled against the pale moonlight. A darkened object was being held in his tight fists. He aimed it at Astrid and Hiccup, and then spoke three words:

"Come with me."

Astrid gasped. It wasn't just "a man."

It was Dagur.

Dagur the Deranged.


	5. Chapter 5

**Second to last chapter y'all! Shout-outs on the next chapter, my internet is slow. :) Enjoy (maybe)...**

Dagur laughed. "Survived the crash, did you, Hiccup?" he said. "Impressive, you know, for a runt."

Hiccup balled his fists. Astrid drew her axe, ready to use it, while Hiccup reached for his dagger to do the same.

"So what was all that hype and hoopla about you shooting down a Night Fury all those years ago?" Dagur asked, and then laughed. "You know, I shot down one, too. And you know what else, Hiccup?"

"Shut up, Dagur," Hiccup snarled. "Just shut up." He knew where Dagur was going; he knew what the deranged Chief of Berserk was getting to.

"You couldn't kill a dragon now, could you, Hiccup?" said Dagur, going on, despite what Hiccup had said. "Well, guess who did? First viking to kill a Night Fury. Dagur the Deranged, Chief of the Berserkers!"

"You killed Toothless," Hiccup growled, and for a second, he looked just about ready to attack Dagur, no questions asked. For a minute, Astrid was worried that he was going to, too. "You killed my best friend."

"Pity, for you," said Dagur. "But not for me. For me, Hiccup, this is a victory! A victory for me and the Berserkers!" He laughed. "Ooh, ex-brother, we could have been friends. But, now that you chose that...that _beast _over me, I had to kill him."

"Don't you _DARE _call Toothless a beast!" Hiccup shouted. "You're the real beast, Dagur. If you want to call anyone a beast, do it to yourself."

Dagur growled in fury and attacked. Hiccup and Astrid jumped out of the way, dodging the arrows Dagur fired from his crossbow furiously.

"I'll kill you both!" Dagur challenged, shooting another arrow at Hiccup, who dodged easily. "I will kill both of you useless Berkians! You both know too much to stay alive!"

Dagur tripped Hiccup off balance, coming up at him, ready to kill him then and there. Hiccup rolled to the side as Dagur brought down his axe. It sank into the ground, deep, and while Dagur pulled it out, Hiccup tried to get up.

Dagur went again for Hiccup when he finally managed to yank his axe out of the dirt. Hiccup, this time, rolled to the opposite side so Dagur missed once again. Since Dagur was swiping more ferociously now, his axe blade sank even deeper than it had done the first time. Hiccup jumped to his feet and ran for his very life, falling face first when Dagur grabbed his ankle to stop him.

"Running away, are you, Hiccup?" Dagur laughed. "We're just getting starte-" He was cut off when something slammed into his chest. Then, he stood there for just a second, mouth drawn in a scream, until he fell backwards, a dagger sticking out of his chest.

Hiccup gasped in horror and shock as he skidded away from the body. He looked behind him at Astrid; she had thrown the dagger. She was standing now, breathing heavily, her axe swinging at her side.

"You…" Dagur coughed, "...will not get away with this."

"We already have, Dagur," said Hiccup. "You killed my best friend. This is the least punishment you deserve from us Berkians."

Dagur swallowed, and then smiled. "I may be dying," he said, "but I can still hurt you." He aimed his crossbow straight at Hiccup…

...and then moved it so it was aiming at Astrid. Without another moment of hesitation, he fired.

"ASTRID!" Hiccup shouted, running towards her. Time slowed down for both he and the girl he was trying to save. He got to her before the arrow did, shoved her out of the way and to the ground a few feet to the left, and then screamed as the arrow hit him instead.

Astrid sprang to her feet once more, her world going back to normal. She looked at Dagur; he was dead, his eyes pale and glazed over, his chest not rising and falling to indicate life.

And then she looked down at Hiccup, and screamed.

He was gasping for breath, an arrow sticking out of his stomach.

"Hiccup!" said Astrid, dropping to her knees beside him and pulling him into her arms. He coughed harshly, his breathing ragged and irregular. "Hang on, Hiccup," said Astrid, gripping the arrow in one hand. "Everything's going to be fine, just-"

"Astrid…" said Hiccup.

The tears were falling now. Astrid looked back at him, her face soaked with salty water that poured from her eyes. "W-what?" she whispered.

"I'll...I'll be o-okay…" Hiccup gasped. "T-Toothless...he'll...he'll take care...of me…"

"No, no, Hiccup, don't say that," said Astrid. "You're going to be fine, see? I just need to remove the arrow, and-"

"Astrid...it's too...too late," Hiccup choked. Astrid knew he was right, though. Dagur's arrows were often poisoned with fast moving venom that could kill almost instantly. Even if Hiccup somehow managed to survive the poison, he had already lost so much blood, and his body didn't have enough strength to replenish that much before he was gone.

"Astrid," said Hiccup, "t-take c-care...of...of the Academy…"

"I will," said Astrid. "I will, Hiccup, and you'll be there, too. I'll be your assistant teacher, if you want me to, but you have to stay alive…"

"Astrid…" said Hiccup. "I...It's...t-t-too late. I...I l-love you, Astrid."

"Oh, Hiccup," said Astrid. "I love you, too."

"Well," said Hiccup. "It...it looks like...like I'm...on my last leg…"

Then, his eyes slid shut, and he was gone.

**I did something bad now, didn't I? Sorry...ONE MORE CHAPTER AFTER THIS. **


	6. Chapter 6

His world was a world of pain; not just physically, although that was a big part of it, but mentally, too. His best friend had been killed, and now, he was dying himself.

"Hang on, Hiccup," Astrid whispered to him. "Everything's going to be fine, just-"

"Astrid…" he cut her off weakly, coughing afterwards.

"W-what?" Astrid sobbed.

"I'll…I'll be o-okay," Hiccup gasped. "T-Toothless...he'll...he'll take care...of me…"

"No, no, Hiccup, don't say that," Astrid pleaded. "You're going to be fine, see? I just need to remove the arrow, and-"

"Astrid...it's too...too late," Hiccup made out, just barely, though. He was dying, and he was dying fast, he knew it. "Astrid...t-take c-care...of...of the Academy…"

"I will," Astrid promised. "I will, Hiccup, and you'll be there, too. I'll be your assistant teacher, if you want me to, but you have to stay alive…"

"Astrid," said Hiccup. This was it. The last of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. "I...It's t-t-too late. I...I l-love you, Astrid."

"Oh, Hiccup," said Astrid, her tears falling more freely than they had been before. "I love you, too."

Hiccup, despite everything, smiled. "Well," he said. "It...it looks like...like I'm...on my last leg…"

Then he closed his eyes.

Another instant later, he woke up. He looked around. This was strange. He didn't feel the pain from his wound, and he didn't feel nor see Astrid anywhere.

However, he did see someone else.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouted.

Toothless turned towards Hiccup, and then smiled gummily, racing towards his rider, the grin never leaving his face. Hiccup took off running towards him as well, and once they met each other, Hiccup threw his arms around the dragon's neck and hugged him, never wanting to let go.

"Hey, buddy!" Hiccup said. "I missed you so much, Toothless!"

...

Astrid held his cold, limp, lifeless body to her chest and stayed there for a long time, crying silently into his scalp. At length, she finally picked herself up off the ground, scooping Hiccup into her arms afterwards (he was almost weightless from the lack of nourishment his body needed) before she began her trek back to the village.

Hiccup had jumped in front of Dagur's arrow to save her. He had sacrificed himself to protect her just as Toothless had sacrificed himself to protect Hiccup. She didn't know what Dagur had been doing on Berk, but she could have easily guessed. He had come back to torture Hiccup by memories of his friend, and then probably would have captured him to use as a tool for training dragons.

None of that went down, though, because now Dagur the Deranged and Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third were both dead.

To say the village was shocked when Astrid carried the limp, battered, bloody body of their heir back was an understatement. She had explained to everyone what had happened, with Dagur, and how he was dead, and how Hiccup himself had died (even though with the arrow sticking out of him, there was little need for an explanation).

Everyone said Hiccup died a hero, which he did. He died to save Astrid from Dagur's arrow, giving his own life up in the process.

The hardest part was, probably, the funeral.

Stoick had fired the first arrow at Hiccup's pyre, followed quickly by the other Berkians.

"I'm sorry, son," said Stoick. "You deserved a better father than me."

Astrid heard Stoick's voice crack, and then took a step up to speak.

"Hiccup was...the greatest friend I could have ever asked for," she said. "He...he was kind, selfless, brave, willing to give his own life that someone else may have theirs. And...and...I wish I could have told him how much he really meant to me, as a friend, and as...as a best friend, too. He...he...he saved my life, and for that, I am forever grateful. He changed my life, put color in the darkest situations, and even brought peace between Berk and dragons. And...and Hiccup...I...I love you, Dragon Boy. I'm sorry I only got to say that once."

Then, Snotlout stepped up.

"Hiccup was my cousin," he said. "I treated him terribly while he was here, for his whole life, before, and also after he showed us the truth about dragons. I wish he were here right now, so that way, I could apologize. I want...I would tell him, and thank him for everything he ever did for me. I would tell him I was sorry, for treating him like he was dirt under my feet...and...Hiccup, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry I couldn't have been a better cousin to you."

No one else had much to say, really at too much of a loss of words from shock. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was gone, forever.

Astrid bumped into Snotlout after the funeral. He looked distraught and full of sorrow, which, he probably was. There were tears in his eyes, some of them making their way down his face.

Astrid looked at him sadly, tears pouring from her own eyes as she spoke.

"Don't worry," she said. "Hiccup is with Toothless."

_**THE END**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

**I know...what you're going to say...guys. How could I have done this? Kept you in suspense, all this time, and why didn't it have a happy ending? **

**Well, what sign did I give you that the characters would live happily ever after? That _anyone _would? **

**(Slightly quoting Valka there, if any of you caught it).**

**THAT was a depressing fanfiction with kind of a happy/sad ending. Actually, really, not a happy ending at all, but...ugh, I don't know what I was trying to do with this fanfiction. I'm sorry for making you guys sad.**

**This is just a headcanon of mine, and this story means nothing when it comes to my other ones. It is not related in any way, shape or form to any of my other fanfictions that I have written now and that will ever be written. **

**I am sorry for this fanfiction, but in the end, I really loved it. It was sad, but sweet. You saw how much Astrid cared for Hiccup, and how much Hiccup cared for her, taking an arrow for her to save her life. And Toothless and Hiccup's bond, what they would be without each other; nothing. So, in the end, I think it is sweet. :) **

**With lots of sadness added in. **

**-BeyondTheClouds777**


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